The Fence Post

When my son Daniel was 11 he announced he was getting goats. “You’re doing what?” I exclaimed. We had recently moved to a house on four acres in Massachusetts. He was looking at about two acres of grass to cut and being an entrepreneur at heart, he was determined to figure out the fastest solution to getting that job done. After much discussion, we headed to Crystal Brook Farm in Sterling, MA so Daniel could apply for a job. Ann Starbard, the goatherder and author of 'The Dairy Goat Handbook," hired him. How could she resist when he blurted out “I want to work for you and you don’t have to pay me.” That was the beginning of our life with goats and it all started with twins: Mr. Tumnus and Sherlock Holmes. Of course, before he brought the goats to their new home he needed a shed and a fence to keep them in.

Additions and Roaming

Then Ann gave Daniel a female goat for his birthday and no one bothered to tell me that she was pregnant! And true to many goats she had triplets: Amos and Andy and Abigail. And then there was Roo. Twelve years later we still have the original twins. Fencing them in and keeping them in has had its challenges through the years. Goats do roam and love to do it. They ate all my David Austin roses, our nice big strawberry patch, and my holly bush (with the most berries ever!) one Christmas. We found the weirdest streaks on our truck last winter: they had been licking the salt off the truck! I came home late one afternoon to find them playing in my neighbor’s front yard. Have you ever tried to get seven full-grown goats home? Without the neighbors hearing you? Not an easy feat. To a goat, the grass is always greener on the other side, especially after a New England winter.

Containing Them

There are two things you must accomplish with fencing in your goats:

• Keeping the goats contained so you don’t lose your roses (or your neighbors' roses!) or expose them to potentially harmful shrubs such as rhododendron
• Keeping your goats safe from predators: coyotes, for example

Thinking ahead:

• Type of fencing
• Land area you want to fence
• Size of your herd
• Terrain
• Your budget
• Do it yourself or hire someone

Options: Wire Mesh Fencing Materials

• Fixed Knot
• Electric fence, best used in combination with another fence
• Barbed wire
• Welded wire stock panels
• Stay-Tuff's Goat-Tuff™ fence

Are you thinking about getting goats? Do you already have goats in your life? Just remember one of the important things Daniel learned: A good secure fence is a necessity.

Did you know that an outdoor cat has an average life expectancy of two to five years, while an indoor cat can live for 15 years or more?

Avoiding Visits to the Vet

I have four cats and it can be a little overwhelming at times. So they go outside a few hours a day. But as it turns out there are many dangers not only from cars but also from raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and even other cats. And with these dangers can come very expensive vet bills. Believe me, I know! One of my cats got into a fight with something and had an abscess that had to be lanced - $450! And because we didn’t know what bit her she was quarantined inside for 6 months just in case of rabies.

Innovation for Kitty

I just happened to have an old metal shed frame, that didn’t have a tarp anymore. So I bought some inexpensive chicken wire and started wrapping. I left one end open and remembered to not have any sharp edges. I made a door for me to get in and out using PVC piping also wrapped with chicken wire and strapped with safety ties. When I was done building the cage I moved it up against a back window and cut a kitty door in the window screen. I also added Plexiglas to keep out most of the cold in the winter. I used a tall cat condo so they could get up and down from the window and also use it as a scratching post. Now add some toys and maybe a catwalk and they are back to chasing the bugs and everyone is safe.

Practical Ideas  

This was a very inexpensive quick solution for me but not everyone has an old frame lying around. So here are some ideas:

• • The wire fencing material that you use depends on the look, your budget, and the difficulty of working with the material.
  • Chicken wire is easily bent around piping whereas a heavier mesh would be great for the wood panels.
  • Vinyl-coated black is less noticeable, more attractive, and will last for many pets to come.
  • There are a wide variety of welded wire gauges and mesh openings to choose from. Choose by the size of your pet and what you’re trying to keep out. 1” x 2”, 1” x 1” meshes in 14 and 16 gauges are good choices to eliminate predators.
  • PVC piping can be used to make panels all the way around. You can have them cut to any size and fasten them together with glue and safety ties. There is also a PVC primer that can be used for welding pieces.
  • Pressure-treated 1” x 3” strapping can be used, wider if making large panels. Sandwich the fence in between and staple or nail the strapping together, using the same method for the top and door.

Your cats will now have the best of both worlds. And no more expensive vet bills. You can leave the money in your wallet!

Terry    

A Skunk Under My Shed 

The Fluffy Shadow 

I have to think twice before taking the garbage out at night or going to find something in the shed after dark. When I go from car to house or house to car after dark, I move quickly with eyes scanning the ground for a fluffy shadow or set of eyes twinkling in the moonlight. My dwelling is terrorized by a skunk that wages a putrid form of guerrilla warfare against my household. It has made its home under our shed and I am loath to engage it in battle. It has to go. We can’t stand the thought of more summer evenings spoiled by the threat of an altercation with these hostiles. The question is: how does one get rid of a skunk?

Methods for Extraction

Modern life offers a lot of very easy solutions to problems that confounded earlier generations. Unfortunately, there is no “easy button” for skunk removal. Unless I am willing to damage the shed (what I’m calling the tip and run method), the animal (poison), or both (flooding/burning) I don’t know how to avoid the physical act of removing the animal. There are some tips on how to get rid of them, but the ones that don’t risk an encounter with the skunk, seem not to work. For example, I read that putting a dirty sock by their entrance would make them move their home. This is untrue. I put a post-basketball sock out there and if this sock wasn’t dirty enough, we might be better off with the skunks than a dirtier sock. I waited a few days hoping that the skunk's repeated encounters with the sock would send it packing, but alas, the skunk remains.

Chatting with a Professional

As may already be apparent from this post, I have an intense fear of being sprayed by a skunk. Generally, I like do-it-yourself projects, but I think for the removal phase of this project I will have to turn to a professional. I spoke to a Louis Page customer, Erik from Needham/Woburn Pest Control, about how to keep the critters out from under the shed once they are extracted. He recommended the following labor-intense, yet straightforward solution.         

1. Dig a trench around the shed 12” deep and 12”-18” wide extending away from the base of the shed.
2. Using ½" x ½" welded wire mesh, 36” wide, staple the top edge to the base of the shed with galvanized staples.
3. Lay the remaining 30 or so inches into the trench to cover 12” inches down and 18” out.
4. Backfill the trench and voilà! Skunk proof!

Since the mesh will be underground, I’ll need to be sure that it is resistant to rust and corrosion. Galvanized after weld offers good protection, but black vinyl coated mesh would be even better and the small amount of exposed wire mesh around the base of the shed will look much better over time if it does not rust. Also, the black color will be virtually invisible. This is really not something I want to do twice.

That’s the plan I think. Onward and upward. And certainly, your ideas are always appreciated!

Straight Lines and Proper Tensioning

What is the process for installing a deer fence? This video from Tornado Wire in the UK will show you how, including: pounding the posts, tensioning and tying off the line wire, installing a brace post, placing and driving intermediate posts, tying off fence material, final tensioning, and stapling. Look and learn how it's done in the UK. 

Tornado has introduced high tensile wire to the UK. Their complete line of agricultural fence products is produced in their own manufacturing facility in the town of Alcester, county of Warwickshire, England.

Fair Treatment

We live in a world where everyone wants equality and to be treated the same as everyone else. Sounds fair and reasonable. Too bad the same standard doesn’t apply to vinyl-coated wire. It’s sad but true!

A Revealing Test

Take for example much of the vinyl coated wire being imported from China. It is not bonded to the wire-like the higher quality coated wire made in the USA or Italy. On the surface, it looks similar but functionally, it’s miles apart. On much of this wire, you can actually remove the vinyl coating by simply scratching it with your fingernail. Just imagine what’s going to happen to it in the “real world!" It would be like applying paint to a greasy surface. It just won’t adhere properly and will peel off easily. You can see the results in the pictures below of this 14 gauge, 2" x 4" coated wire requested from another company selling vinyl-coated wire fencing materials.

Exposed

When you consider that when people buy the higher-priced vinyl-coated wire over non-coated wire it is because they desire durability, long life, and improved aesthetics. What a disappointment it is when you see the vinyl coating peeling off. When this occurs, the wire underneath the coating is exposed and subject to rust and corrosion. There go the durability, long life, and aesthetics--not to mention the cost of the wire and the cost and work to install it!

The Unfortunate Result

How can you avoid this problem? Choose a high-quality bonded vinyl coated wire product. Why is bonded better? The vinyl coating is “bonded” to the heated, thoroughly cleaned wire mesh through a special, exacting process. This special process provides a strong, smooth, durable coating without pinholes or thin spots. This is where the wire becomes one with the vinyl coating. For PVC coated wire, this is bliss!

The moral of the story, choose vinyl-coated wire carefully. You will pay a little more for a quality, bonded vinyl-coated product, but the benefits and peace of mind are worth it. The quality is remembered long after the price! We can have pity on the inferior vinyl-coated wire, but we don’t have to buy it!